Before Charles Xavier and Magneto were enemies, they were allies, and that relationship is depicted in the latest X-Men movie that debuted on Friday.
And that theme drove fans to theatres on Friday with “X-Men: First Class” debuting at the top of the box office, brining in an estimated $21 million according to box office mojo.
The Los Angeles Times reported earlier in the week that the latest film about a team of mutants, who are shunned from the world because of their superhuman powers, would bring in between $55 million to $60 million during its opening weekend.
If that’s the case, however, “First Class” will still be far behind the opening weekend of “X-Men: The Last Stand”—the third installment of the X-Men films—which brought in $105 million on its opening weekend in 2006.
“First Class” takes viewers back to the past where the young mutants were still learning to harness their powers, during a tumultuous time in United States history.
The movie follows two young mutants, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Eric Lehnsherr, (Michael Fassbender) who begin the X-Men saga as friends, but later become enemies because of their different views of how mutants fit in to this world.
The beginning of the X-Men saga is set in the 1960’s during the Cold War, when Xavier, who becomes known as “Professor X,” sets up a school for humans with superhuman abilities.
Coming in second on Friday was the drunken comedy “Hangover Part II” earning $10.4 million.
Released on May 26, the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster has already earned more than $164 million in the United States.
Coming in third was another sequel, “Kung Fu Panda 2,” which started off the weekend with $6 million in the box office.
